Fruit-picker&#39;s sack.



UNITED strains PATENT FFICE ELAM IrIAR'IER,l OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-PICKERS SACK.l

Specification of Letters Patent.

-natented sept. 2e, 1905.-

Application filed April 22, 1905. Serial No. 256,947.

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concernvide a sack of simple construction in which the fruit may be placed and from. which it may' be emptied without danger of damage, a further object being to provide a novel form of sack in which the capacity may be adjusted as the picking progresses, so that the fruit as picked may be laid gently in the sack and bruises and other injury from falling of the fruit prevented. f

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sack open at the top for the reception of the fruit and provided with an open bottom through which the fruit may be-deliVered, the sack being of such construction that by making a simple transverse folda temporary bottom will be formed and the fruit securely held duringI the picking operation.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fuily hereinafter appeanthe invention consists in certainnovel features ofvconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fruit-pickers sack constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, showing the sack adjusted to its smallest capacity. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the lower portion of the sack, showing the delivery end open.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The sack proper is formed of canvas or other textile material, as indicated at 10, and its mouth is held open by a stiff rim 11, preferably for'rned of wire. To the mouthpiece are Asecured bails 12, which maybe attached by hooks or links 13 to a shoulder-strap 14 of anyv desired construction. .One side of the guard or mouth piece isin the form of a straight or slightly-curvedbar 15, that is provided at a central point. with a suitable protecting strip or pad 16, which may be formed of leather or other suitable material, the pad being held in position by an eyelet or other securing means passing through the body of the sack.

Secured to the` bottom of the sack on that side opposite the bar lis a metallic bar 18, that is provided at intermediate points with eyes 19, and said bar is held in proper position with respect to the widthfof` the sack by straps 20, encircling the bar at points adjacent to the eyes and held in place by suitable-rivets or eyelets 21.

Secured to that side of the sack which car-a ries the bar 18, this side being termed the outer side for convenience, are straps 22, formed of leather or other suitable material andv serving as supports forrings or eyes 211, to which are'secured the opposite ends of a v loop or strap 25,v formed of tape, cord, or other suitable material, the tape being first threaded through the eyes 2.0 and then secured to the rings 24:, so that if stress is exerted on the central portion of the tape theends of the bag, orrather the side edges, when the bag or sack is folded,.will be drawn' around and fold-v ed partly over the outer face of the sack.

To the central portion of the tape or cord 25 is secured a hook 28, having a loop portion adapted tol embrace the p'ad 16 and bar 15 and provided with an upstanding eye or handle portion 29. for convenience in manipula-.

tion, so that the operator may readily remove` the hook from position when the sack is to be emptied. Secured to theinner face of the sack, being that face to which the zban-15 is attached, is a reinforcing or stiftening band BO, that may be formedof heavy textile .or other material, this band. extending practically' for the full width of the sack when closed and arranged in such position that when the -bottom of'the sack is folded over, as shown in Fig. 1', it will lie parallel with the folded part and will be. sufficiently stiff to prevent the escape of any fruit placed'in the sack. If this. stiffening portion were omitted and the bottom of the sack merely folded over, there would be danger of the fruit falling out by its own weight, and this is further prevented by the folding over of the end members through'their attachments to the tape 25, as previously described.

Pivotally secured to the lower bar 18 is a hook 31, preferably formed of metal and pro! vided with a flexible operating-tab 32,.and said hook may bedrawn upward to a position to hook over the pad 16 or bar 15 in order to reduce the capacity of the sack to the small- TOO IIO

est possible extent when the picking` operation is started, so that it the vt'ruit is dropped into the sack it will have but a short distance to fall and there will be little danger ot' loss through bruising. As the fruit accumulates in the sack the hook 3l is raised from engagement with the outer bar and allowed to tall gradually, while the hook 28 still retains its place, and the t'ruit is thus lowered gradually to the bottom otl the sach, the latter being' then of greater capacity and serving to receive a largeiyquantity otl fruit.

Then the sack is to be emptied` the oper- .ator Stands over the box or other receptacle into which the fruit is to be delivered and catching' the eye or handle 29 ot' the hook raises the latter from engagenient with the pad 16 and gradually lowers the folded bottom ot' the sack and allows the fruit to gradually flow from the sack. still retaining, however, his hold on the hook, so that the fruit will not be bruised or otherwise damaged.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed isl. A toldable sack having a reinforced mouth, and a freely-flexible open bottom` the bottom portion beingI foldable into parallel relation with one side ot the sach, the outer tace ot' said sack having a strip of relatively stiff material disposed wholly above the bottom otl thesack ata point adjacent to the toldline ot' said sack to prevent accidental dis charge of the contents thereof.

2. A sack open at top and bottom and toldable at'the lower portion to form a bottom, and means for folding the lower corners or edges of the sack inward to prevent the eseape ot the contents ol the saelt.

3. A sack open at top and bottom, one edge olf the bottom having a still'ening-bar, eyeson said stitiening-bar, a tape or eord extending through said eyes and connected to thelower corners ot' the sack, and a suspension means for the tape or eord.

at. A sack open at top and bottom, a erossbar at the top, and a cross-bar extending along one edge of the bottom, eyes carried b v the lower cross-bar, rings seeured to the, corners olz the sach-bottom, a tape threaded through the eyes and connected to said rings, and a hook secured to au intermediate portion ot the tape and adapted to engage the upper cross-bar at the top ot the sack,

5. A sach having a wired top and open at its bottom, a sti (toning-ba r at one edge ot the bottom, eyes Carried by the still'ening-lmr, rings secured to the sides or corners ol' the bottom ot the sack, a tape extending through said eyes and seeured to the rings, a hook connected to the tapl and adapted to pass over the wired mouth ol' the sarl". and an auxiliary hoolt connected to the still'eningbar and also arranged to pass over the wired top ot' the sach.

In testimony that l claim the loregoing as my own l have hereto allixed my signature in the presence ot' two witnesses.

ELAM HAlt'llClt.

Witnesses:

S'rANLnY J. tlAs'rLmmN, Tune. l). llUnn. 

